Young Syrian Kurds are joining protection units in droves - not only to drive out the threat of ISIS and terrorism, but with the possibility to join the fight for a Kurdish state.

Upholding values of camaraderie, nationalism, and gender equality, young Kurdish men and women are living every day like their last - and for many of them, it is. Yet they push forward with courage and a long-suffering strength that is defining this generation of Kurdish youth.